Captain Marvel – Movie Reviews by Ry!

MCU films
have become an event for the masses. No
matter if you’re ingrained in the comic books or are a fan of the films
(overall), many want to watch these blockbusters on the big screen. Marvel has mastered the art of storytelling
within their own catalog, finding ways to combine realism, characterization and
multiple genres to create fantastic journeys.
With this latest installment in the MCU, they have found a way to combine
lore, comedy and some nostalgia to bring another character to life. Captain Marvel might string together many predictable
tropes, but with great dynamic and an intriguing setting, its another win for
Marvel.

The story
centers around Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) a person who is unaware of her past
but is living under the guise as Vers, a Kree warrior who is a member of
Starforce. With a quick introduction to
the Kree home world, Starforce and the main antagonist (Skrulls), Danvers is
caught in a trap that sends her back to Earth.
Here, the film takes leave of its ‘space origins’ and becomes infused
with the nostalgic era of the 90s to produce a genuine connection with the audience. Danvers meets a young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson),
as they must uncover the truth behind the Skrulls’ Invasion. The story becomes a mixture of a ‘buddy cop’
trope with an investigative narrative.
What the director does well is produce ‘flashbacks’ that are relevant to
the story and character development.
Nothing is force fed, but it also not as thought provoking as past MCU
films. Even so, you become enticed to
watch Danvers learn about her past and become one with her powers. As the story moves along, the mixture of
comedy within the 90s setting helps breathe life into the generic script, because
you become aware of the lackluster material that is a constant refence to the
basic ‘comic book’ origin tale. This
might make some of the obvious detail and twist seem unsurprising, but it is
the actors/actresses that provide the worth to the overall journey.

From the
relationship between Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick
Fury, to the rest of the supporting cast (Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, Jude Law as
Yon-Rogg, Annette Bening as Dr Wendy Lawson, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, etc.)
you have a sense of real individuals with indifferent personalities. This lends itself to whimsical and witty
situations that become endearing, creating the wholesome feel to an otherwise
common tale. Once you get into the third
act, the film becomes an overpowering display of who Carol Danvers is as
Captain Marvel. Watching her in action against
all odds shows the strength of her powers, but also her importance to the MCU. Once the climax hits, it becomes a lettering for
things to come. This leads to an epilogue
that threads a connection between her current situation to her arrival in the
future. Captain Marvel takes the common
origin tale and makes it something a little bit more. Even when predictability surrounds the
script, the characters and era help create an entertaining journey. If you’re a fan of Marvel films, comic books
or like to see the next chapter in the MCU, this is one for you. Definitely worth checking out at the
theaters.